Police: Schenectady woman drove on drugs, flat tire

ROTTERDAM — A Schenectady woman was under the influence of drugs Wednesday morning as she drove a vehicle into a guardrail and continued with a flat tire before stopping in the middle of Campbell Road, state police said.

Amanda L. Romines, 35, faces one count each of driving while ability impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, an infraction.

The investigation began just after 7:30 a.m., when police received a report of a car disabled on Campbell Road, state police spokesman Trooper Mark Cepiel said.

A trooper found the car near Via|Port Rotterdam with signs that it had been in an accident and that it had been driven on a flat tire, Cepiel said.

Troopers soon learned the driver struck the guardrail on Interstate 890 between exits 2A and 2B before continuing onto Campbell, where the car stopped in the driving lane, Cepiel said. He did not have an estimate of the distance allegedly traveled after the crash, though the description placed the crash near the Campbell Road exit.

The trooper also noticed signs that Romines was impaired, Cepiel said. She was uncooperative with sobriety tests, Cepiel said.

Another trooper, who is also a drug-recognition expert, arrived at the scene and determined Romines was under the influence of drugs. A blood sample was later taken, and the results are pending, Cepiel said.

Romines was issued appearance tickets and was released to return to Rotterdam Town Court next week.